A grieving couple from Church Crookham have welcomed the news that an independent investigation is set to start into the death of their baby daughter in 2001.

Graeme and Anne Dixon’s daughter Elizabeth was born prematurely at Frimley Park Hospital in 2000 and was left with permanent brain damage after her high blood pressure was not treated for 15 days.

She was left disabled and needed a tracheostomy, or tube, to breathe, but suffocated and died at home just days before her first birthday, when her tube was not maintained during a full night shift by a newly-qualified agency nurse.

Health secretary and South West Surrey MP Jeremy Hunt appointed Dr Bill Kirkup to lead the investigation into Elizabeth’s death.

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Dr Kirkup, who was on the Hillsborough disaster independent panel and also led an investigation into the allegations of sexual abuse by Jimmy Savile at Broadmoor Hospital, said he had agreed the terms of reference for the inquiry.

He told Health Service Journal: “I have undertaken to Mr and Mrs Dixon that we will pursue the evidence wherever it takes us.

“It’s clear that they have had significant concerns and that those concerns haven’t been addressed for more than 15 years. That is going to take an awful toll on anybody.

“It’s very important that we now make sure we make every effort to look at all aspects of what happened; it’s no good doing part of the job and leaving some of the questions unaddressed.

“I have deliberately set the terms of reference wide enough to be able to look at all of that.”

Baby Elizabeth Dixon died in 2001

Dr Kirkup said his investigation would begin in September and involve an expert panel of two paediatricians, an obstetrician, a paediatric nurse and a community services specialist.

He added: “We are going to be objective and we are going to look at what the evidence says; but from what I know about it, I think there will be lessons not only about the care at the time but the handling of concerns and the desire for information afterwards.”

Mr and Mrs Dixon said: “We thank Jeremy Hunt for offering this investigation and Dr Kirkup for agreeing to lead it and we appreciate the assurances we have received from both of them.

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“No one cared at all about what we were going through or how their behaviour would wreck our lives or squander the chance of safeguarding another child or adult. We now have an opportunity to change this for other patients and other families.

“When harm happens under the NHS, no family should endure a cover up that forces them to relive their child’s death for more than 15 years while the family seek the truth for themselves.

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“This country has a healthcare system which is denied to so many in the world. But so often the NHS fails to respect this privilege. It needs to listen to patient and family concerns and always speak and act with an honest heart so that harm can be minimised and learning can be swift and effective.

“No victim should be considered unworthy of justice just because they are a baby or they are disabled. No one should be above the law just because they are considered eminent.”

A final inquiry report with recommendations is expected to be published next year.

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